Salute to Veterans: America’s Leading Companies Step Up to Hire 100,000 Veterans

Custom Content by the Los Angeles Business Journal

Vet-Friendly Job Initiative goal is to achieve 100,000 veterans hired nationally by the end 2020.

Veteran Recruiting, DAV (Disabled American Veterans) DirectEmployers, and industry leading companies are teaming up to hire at least 100,000 veterans through the VetFriendly Jobs Initiative (VFJI). The group expects to add hundreds of companies who are equally committed to hiring veterans to fill their open positions.

The goal of VFJI is to encourage more companies to think of veterans as they look to expand their workforce, and to educate more employers of the skill, training, education, and experience that veterans bring to the workforce.

“We could not be more proud to partner with DAV, DirectEmployers, and the companies who have already joined the VFJI to hire at least 100,000 veterans by the end of 2020. The fact that such a wide range of industry leading companies have already come aboard, demonstrates that hiring veterans is great for the business, and not just the right thing to do. Since 2011, more than 170,000 veterans have been hired by our partners, and we look to significantly add to that number through the VFJI,” stated Kevin O’Brien, Managing Partner, Veteran Recruiting.

‘Our members represent some of the nation’s largest government contractors, all of whom understand the value these highly trained and highly skilled veterans and transitioning servicemembers bring to the civilian workforce.’

In 2016, DAV partnered with Veteran Recruiting to sponsor the Veteran Recruitment Center (VRC) an online recruiting platform that enables service members, veterans, military spouses, and recruiters to connect in real-time, from anywhere/anytime.

“We’re very excited to be part of this new initiative and grateful to the leading companies who have already committed to hiring veterans,” said DAV National Commander Dave Riley. “Partnering with Veteran Recruiting and sponsoring the Veteran Recruitment Center is especially helpful to disabled veterans and transitioning service members deployed overseas and will greatly aid these men and women in their job hunt. “DAV is resolved to the Vet- Friendly Job Initiative and the goal to attain the ‘100,000 veterans hired’ mark by the end of 2020.”

The following companies have already joined the VetFriendly Jobs Initiative: Verizon, First Data, Johnson Controls, Waste Management, Exelon Corporation, Anthem, Sykes Corporation, Dial America, Service King, Telum, 24Hour Fitness, IBM, Pluribus International, Pearl Interactive Network, CVS Health, Pomeroy, Aetna, and Penske Truck Leasing. All companies committed to hiring veterans are encouraged to sign up. DirectEmployers Association is a nonprofit HR consortium of leading global employers formed to improve labor market efficiency through the sharing of best practices. In 2012, DirectEmployers partnered with Veteran Recruiting in the 10,000 Jobs Challenge for veterans, and more than 10,000 veterans were hired within 12 months.

“This is an incredible commitment that we are happy to be a part of,” stated Candee Chambers, DirectEmployers Executive Director. “Our members represent some of the nation’s largest government contractors, all of whom understand the value these highly trained and highly skilled veterans and transitioning servicemembers bring to the civilian workforce. We are eager to raise the bar for companies across the country and promote veteran recruitment, retention and engagement strategies to help meet our goal.”

Veteran Recruiting will continue to host veteran virtual career fairs to support the VFJI, and enable companies to post jobs for free. Companies who support the VFJI will be required to report the number of veterans hired each quarter, and the collective number of veterans hired will be displayed on the VetFriendly homepage, and reported to the White House to support President Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” strategy.

Companies interested in joining the VFJI can get more information at vetfriendly.com.